Coach Jim O’Brien appreciates calmness in Paul Pierce’s long-range resolve

From a statistical standpoint, Paul Pierce [stats]’s knee couldn’t have filled up with fluid at a more inconvenient time.

In the three games leading up to his 21-point, 4-for-15 oddity against Indiana on Dec. 22, the Celtics [team stats] captain had shot 10-for-12 from 3-point range, including a franchise record-tying 6-for-6 during a Dec. 20 win over Minnesota.

Indiana coach Jim O’Brien, who has as much perspective on Pierce as anyone, points to Pierce’s downtown efficiency and defense as his greatest improvements.

“I haven’t studied his statistics, but one thing -- look at what he’s done over the last (three) games from 3-point range,” said the former Celtics coach who rode Pierce to the 2002 Eastern Conference finals. “It’s a great situation to have strength inside, and Kevin Garnett at the power forward and Ray Allen and a jet quick point guard.

“At some point in time on defense you have to come off of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce at the 3-point line. The thing about Paul is that he’s more effective inside than from the 3-point line, and it’s hard to believe because he’s been so great from the 3-point line. He’s just a great, great scorer.”

This, of course, isn’t new to O’Brien.

Even when his Celtics teams had other threats like Antoine Walker, Rodney Rogers, Kenny Anderson and Eric Williams, there was no doubt about the primary option.

“He carried us even more than he has to carry this team, obviously, with Kevin, Ray Allen and Rondo,” O’Brien said. “He was able to put us on his back and basically score against anybody.

“I see the same thing now. I see a much more focused defensive player because the staff here really takes great pride in their defense, and I see that in him.

But he’s always been a very calm player from the standpoint of understanding what he has to do to help his team win.

“I don’t see a dramatic difference, other than that he always seemed to me, coming out of Kansas, to have a calmness to his game. He felt confident that he could score pretty much on anybody in any situation. He was just a rookie who had that viewpoint very early in his career.”